Loneliness is a natural human emotion. We are hard-wired to need social connection. Feeling lonely is a useful prompt for us to look at how we can better meet our social needs.
This year’s campaign takes place Monday 13th June – Friday 17th June 2022 and will be highlighting the many and varied instances when we feel lonely to normalise the feeling – from childhood, into adulthood and beyond – with the campaign:
’That Lonely Feeling’
#ThatLonelyFeeling
Why is it important?
Whilst we’re seeing an increase in discussion on the subject, stigma remains and there are some key misconceptions that still need to be challenged. Ask anyone to picture a lonely person and most will imagine an older person living on their own. As such, we often rebuke and dismiss feelings of loneliness because ‘that doesn’t apply to me’.
By identifying and acknowledging all the times that we have personally felt and experienced loneliness, we can start to change our viewpoint, accept it and understand how to take action to manage the feeling (and our social connections) in the future.
Visit the Marmalade Trust‘s website for practical guides for combating loneliness in your community, self care tips or ideas on making friends and connecting.